"On Monday 31st April, our Southern Polish National Coordinators, Marek Zamana and Andrzej Zalewski paid us a visit to the ECF’s office in Brussels to present the progress of the work in their region. Their meticulous efforts seem to be very fruitful.

As Marek Zamana and Andrzej Zalewski say “Poland is a perfect polygon for cycling” and they do their best to make it true. Our two national coordinators have cycled themselves on Polish EuroVelo routes with a GPS on their handlebars and a red and white stick in their pack bags to test roads conditions. Their bicycle journeys on Polish roads were also opportunities to meet local authorities and to make agreements with them.

The results are really positive since agreements have been reached with most of the local authorities along the EuroVelo routes and works to improve the routes should start soon. Marek Zamana and Andrzej Zalewski have also prepared an impressive number of elevation profiles and very detailed maps, including, for instance, the adapted itineraries for crossing roundabouts. Furthermore, to make cycle tourism more attractive, our Polish partners try to encourage the development of modern and nature-friendly rest areas alongside the Polish bicycle routes.

In order to develop cycling tourism as a whole in Poland, Marek Zamana and Andrzej Zalewski have organised a meeting on ‘EuroVelo, the European cycle route network in Poland’ in Warsaw on Monday 7th April together with the National EuroVelo Coordinator for Northern Poland, PSWE, and the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism.

The conference will present EuroVelo to representatives of local governments, for whom participation in the project also provides an opportunity to improve infrastructure and tourism services and thus economic development."